London 2012: Keri-Anne Payne's plan of attack comes back to daunt her | Barney Ronay Team GB gold-medal hope admits she came fourth in the open-water swim because rivals played her at her own game<p>Open to the skies in Hyde Park, or enclosed within the concrete monolith of the Stratford Aquatics Centre, the water has not been kind to Britain's swimming Olympians. Before the start of the women's marathon swim in the familiar greasy-green depths of the Long Water – an event featuring Britain's world champion, Keri-Anne Payne – it was widely noted that to date 32 swimming disciplines had failed to yield a single British gold medal. Make that 33, then.</p><p>Payne finished fourth here in front of a packed and celebratory unticketed crowd on the Knightsbridge bank of this grand man-made lake.

If she at no stage threatened the winner, Eva Risztov of Hungary, a fearsomely gruelling race still boiled down to a sprint finish between Risztov and the American Haley Anderson, who produced a display of great racing heart at the end of six devastating laps that saw several competitors drop out in exhaustion – the South African Jessica Roux sobbing into the arms of her parents and Brazil's Poliana Okimoto into a waiting wheelchair.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Keri-Anne Payne London 2012: Farewell Michael Phelps, the Olympian beyond comparison | Andy Bull The man who was once afraid to put his face in the water ended up with more Olympic golds than Argentina, India and 163 other countries have won in their history<p>After the parties and press conferences are over, Michael Phelps will sit down at a desk and, just as he has done every day this year, write in his journal.

He is going to put three words in it: "I did it." After 20 years, four Olympic Games and six world championships, the competitive career of the greatest swimmer in history has come to an end.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Michael Phelps Has London 2012 got us all blubbing? I second that emotion With Danny Boyle's opening ceremony setting the perfect tone, Britons can express patriotism with irony and genuine feeling<p>Maybe, ultimately, it was the pyjamas. Nobody, surely, has worn pyjamas on an Olympic stadium track before if not by mistake. But there was the deaf choir of children, in pyjamas, signing God Save the Queen. "It was as if someone had said: "If you get into your jimjams and brush your teeth, you can stay up late to sing for the Queen," said my colleague Tim, who was reduced to tears by that moment in Danny Boyle's opening ceremony.

That was part of Boyle's crying-time genius: the human touch, the cultivation of empathy, the cunning manipulation of sentiment that any director worth his salt can deploy without – ideally – making us feel that it's phoney.</p><p>And so began an unexpected festival of emotion that, by rights, London 2012 had no right to unleash on an unsuspecting world. Boyle's ceremony set a singular tone. Could the Olympics really have a place for vulnerable humanity amid that parade of putative perfection? It's only, after all, four years since the crypto-fascist perfection of Zhang Yimou's opening ceremony, where a seven-year-old Chinese girl was deemed not good-looking to appear singing Ode to the Motherland and was replaced by a more suitably beautiful lip-syncher.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Olympic Games 2012 London 2012: African women swim in uncharted waters | Andy Bull A trio from Lesotho, Niger and Togo may not have won medals but they have broken barriers in the pool<p>Silence fell across the 17,000-strong crowd.

The three swimmers crouched on the start blocks, waiting for the signal. This was the biggest moment of their lives, something they had been training for, dreaming about, for, in one case, almost two months; the first heat of the first round of the women's 50m freestyle. In lane three was Masempe Theko from Lesotho, who only found out she was coming to compete in London in June. In the next lane stood Nafissatou Moussa Adamou, a 14-year-old from Niger, and, with a personal best over a second quicker than her rivals, the clear favourite. Last, and least in stature, was Adzo Kpossi, from Togo. Aged 13 years and six months, she was the youngest athlete in the 2012 Olympics.</p><p>Adamou was first into the pool, but the 14-year-old soon slipped behind Kpossi, who swam a strong first 25m. Theko, somehow, took well over a second to react to the gun, almost as though she didn't actually want to get in at all.

Which may not have been so far from the truth, given that afterwards she said her main emotion was relief at having got the whole thing over with. With a start like that, she was always going to struggle. Up ahead of her though, the two young teens were having a titanic battle. Kpossi still had the lead until the final 10m, when Adamou's extra year's worth of training just began to show. She sneaked ahead to touch the wall .36sec ahead of Kpossi. The winning time? 37.29sec, some 14 seconds behind the German swimmer Britta Steffan's world record. Adamou didn't stop in the mixed zone to talk to the press, but marched purposefully past to the warm-down pool, mindful of the fact that as at this stage she was leading the entire field of 73 swimmers and that she should prepare herself for the semi-finals. Sadly, her final position was 71st, Kipossi was 72nd, Theko 73rd. But each of the three knocked more than five seconds off their personal bests.

Theko, in fact, improved hers by over seven seconds, an improvement to rival that of Ye Shiwen.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Olympics 2012: swimming James Magnussen's Olympics 2012 seems one long Australian nightmare | Andy Bull As the Missile struggles in the 50m freestyle heats at London 2012, the swimmer is sounding suspiciously soppy for an Aussie<br /><a href="" title="">• Australia left wishing athletes cried tears of gold </a><p>James Magnussen's week just keeps getting worse. The man the Australians nicknamed the Missile came to these Games as the world champion in the 100m freestyle. Right now he is known, in the memorable words of one US columnist, as "the biggest Australian flop since Crocodile Dundee 3". In Thursday morning's heats of the 50m freestyle, Magnussen was only the 10th fastest qualifier. And then he was handed over to the Australian press for yet another roasting.</p><p>The previous night he had come second to the USA's Nathan Adrian by a single hundredth of a second in the 100m freestyle.

Rarely has a silver medal sparked such a crisis. "To be totally honest the last thing I wanted to do was to get up and swim again," Magnussen said this morning. And after the hammering he has taken, who can blame him?</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Australia Olympic team Ye Shiwen's world record Olympic swim: brilliant, or too good to be true? Swimmer's final length – faster than Ryan Lochte's – <a href="">has raised doubts</a>, but there is no evidence against her except her speed<p>It was not Ye Shiwen's winning time <a href="">that aroused John Leonard's suspicion</a>, or even her age. The 16-year-old Ye swam the final of the 400m individual medley (IM) in a new world record of 4min 28.43sec, seven seconds faster than she had gone in the 2011 World Championship final. Leonard, an authority on swimming who has been executive director of the World Association of Swimming Coaches since 1989, believes that was a plausible, if difficult, improvement to make in 12 months.

No, what got Leonard was the ease and speed with which Ye swam the last 100m. After 300m of butterfly, back and breaststroke, Ye was eight-tenths of a second behind the USA's Elizabeth Beisel. But 100m of freestyle later, Ye was almost three seconds ahead of her. One of the most remarkable facts of these Games is that Ye's time for her final length was quicker than that of Ryan Lochte, who won the men's IM in the second-fastest time in history.</p><p>For Leonard it brought back "awful memories" of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when Ireland's Michelle Smith, now De Bruin, won three gold medals in the pool only to be banned for doping offences two years later. Smith faced down direct accusations from her US rival Janet Evans at those Olympics. In 2012 Ye has been confronted with questions by the press, but until Leonard spoke out no one inside the sport was willing to put their doubts on the record.

"Unbelievable" was the word many people, including the 2009 world champion in the 200m medley, Ariana Kukors, used to describe Ye's swim. Whether they were punctuating it with an exclamation mark or a question mark was left to the journalists to interpret.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Ye Shiwen Rebecca Adlington finds dogfight too much in Olympic 400m final | Donald McRae British swimmer takes bronze medal behind Camille Muffat and Allison Schmitt but looks in good shape to go for gold in 800m<p>In an Olympic final of unremitting tension and ferocious competition Rebecca Adlington lost her 400m freestyle title – but still won a bronze medal behind Allison Schmitt and the victorious and hugely impressive Camille Muffat. Bill Furniss, Adlington's coach, had always predicted that the race would "turn into a dogfight".

In his blunt and forthright way Furniss had also described Adlington, whom he has coached since she was 12, as "the ultimate racer".</p><p>Swimming in front of a roaring home crowd, the 23-year-old from Mansfield strove to turn those words into a defining truth as she attempted to become the first British swimmer in 104 years, since Henry Taylor in 1908, to complete a successful defence in the Olympic pool. But the inevitable dogfight had just too much snap and bite at the front.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Rebecca Adlington Olympic swimming: Rebecca Adlington and the rest of the action – as it happened Rebecca Adlington claimed Team GB's second medal of the day with bronze in the 400m freestyle. Sean Ingle was watching<p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T20:24:57.900Z">9.24pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Thanks for all your emails and tweets, and sorry I couldn't use them all.

It got a little bit hectic there. Best, Sean</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T20:13:34.084Z">9.13pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>... and it's highly deserved. Especially given that she swam faster in London tonight to win bronze than she did winning gold in Beijing (where she, like everyone else, also wore a neoprene swimsuit).</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T20:11:43.263Z">9.11pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>It's a combination of factors. Swimming is generally sprint distances, over in less than two minutes so requires lots of strength and fast-twitch muscles, which favours the young un's. Also, its a bloody boring sport to be doing six-seven hours a day.

Remember, most of the swimmers will have started around 7-8 years old so thats 16 years of going up and down the pool. As an aside, I trained with the exception to that rule, David Carry, many years ago. Who used to crush me in the pool, despite being two years younger. Good for the ego to see it wasn't just because I was rubbish.<br></p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T20:05:42.359Z">9.05pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>The US lead Australia after the first leg which is a minor surprise. Phelps, who wasn't certain to be on the team, takes over for the second leg and takes American about half a length up at halfway. France are second in 0.76 secs and Australia third in 0.82sec. After 300m the US lead is slipping, mind. The French are closing the gap...

Lochte leads but Yannick Agnel has pulled it back to 0.30 sec with 50m to go. He is still coming. He's coming! He's won it for them by 0.40 sec! Superb from France! What a race! Result: 1) France, 2) US 3) Russian Federation. And the Australians didn't win a medal. Incredible. No one would have predicted that.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T20:04:32.678Z">9.04pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>The Australian men have been favourites coming in to this event ever since James ‘The Missile’ Magnussen and James ‘The Rocket’ Roberts posted the fastest 2 times in the world at the Aussie trials in March. There is talk that if they decide to lead with these two men, the Aussies could go in to the third leg almost two seconds clear of the field. The order is usually unknown until the last minute.

Team USA will always be a threat, the rivalry between the two teams ever present since the epic battle of Sydney 2000 (if you can’t remember, the Aussies won) will no doubt flourish tonight. Expect France to put on a good show throughout, and Russian Federation to be in the mix, at least for half of the race. My pick for the Gold is Australia, the team nickname of ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ by Australian media, likely to be heard throughout the world following a win, closely threatened by team USA, bronze going to France.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T20:03:39.920Z">9.03pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Those of you who stopped watching the Ashes when Warne and McGrath were destroying England, or listening to the radio when I Come From A Land Down Under topped the charts, should probably turn off their TVs now. Because Australia are big, big favourites here and are expected to cruise home.

But they are up against a US team with Lochte and Phelps in it, so you never know.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:57:12.294Z">8.57pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>With 20m to go in the first heat, the field looks like a thin arrow, with the two girls in the centre lanes - Franklin, who wins in 59.12, and Terakawa, who comes second in 59.34 - slightly ahead of those on the flanks. But from nowhere Britain's Gemma Spofforth, who had a poor start in lane seven, surges to finish third. In the second semi-final Emily Seebohm hits the turn at world record pace, before finishing just outside it in 58.39 sec, ahead of Zhao in 59.55.

And good news for British swimming fans: Spufforth qualifies </p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:47:00.479Z">8.47pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>To be honest, I haven't had a chance to study these races in depth so I'll pass you straight to the excellent Alice Tait, who writes:</p><p>Emily Seebohm (AUS) fell just shy of the World Record in her heat swim this morning, obliterating the field and setting a new ‘textile’ world best. She went out fast and no one could touch her, I anticipate she will do the same in the semi-final tonight. She has propelled herself in to the favourite position, sitting almost 1 second clear of lead-up favourite, Missy Franklin (USA). Franklin looked to have a controlled swim; she will go much faster tonight.

Expect the final to include Belinda Hocking (AUS), Aya Terakawa (JPN) Anastasia Zueva (RUS) and local favourite Georgia Davies (GBR).</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:42:47.509Z">8.42pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>A true thank you from the States! I found your reports online, and have gotten my Olympic fix. The NBC stranglehold on the market here is not as successful for the diehard Olympic sports fan. When it happens only every four years, we appreciate the efforts of the Guardian standing in as our proxy. </p><p>That's very kind of you Herman, appreciate it.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:41:22.503Z">8.41pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>... after winning bronze.

My picture cropping skills aren't the best; you'll have to take it from me that she hasn't lost her left hand.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:33:49.923Z">8.33pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Liam Tancock goes in the first semi-final. Being a 50m world record holder he goes out fast and tries to hang on. Not this time -- he takes it steady and finishes in second, just behind the Frenchman Camille Lacort, who celebrates by taking off his swimcap and shaking his long because-I'm-worth-it Gallic hair. Grevers, who is 6ft 8in and the fastest man ever at the 100m backstroke in a textile swim suit, smashes the Olympic record, without appearing to break sweat. Judging by that, don't be surprised if anyone world record goes in the final.

Tancock finishes third fastest overall, incidentally.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:31:39.062Z">8.31pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Matthew Grevers (USA) is not only the tallest guy strolling around pool deck; he is also the man who makes a 52.92 second 100m backstroke, also look like a stroll! He is the clear favourite and will no doubt switch off in the last 25m tonight to put himself in a good but comfortable position for tomorrow’s final. Camille Lacort (FRA), 2011 World Champion, also looked comfortable. Local hero Liam Tancock will be inspired to make the final by the home crowd, as will the men who prefer the second 50m to show their strength, like Ryosuke Irie (JPN) and Nick Thoman (USA).

Also watch out for a surprise performance from 9th ranked Hayden Stoeckel (AUS) to lift him in to the final.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:31:04.147Z">8.31pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>If a British male swimmer is to win a medal at these Games, his name will probably be Liam Tancock. He will expect to finish in the first three of his heat here ...</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:30:20.147Z">8.30pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>It was hard - so hard," she says. "I'm so pleased with that. They were so far ahead I'm so proud I've got a medal in the home games. The crowd were absolutely amazing ...

there were so many people who wanted me to get gold and I'm sorry I couldn't do that but I'm so pleased I got a bronze.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:22:03.435Z">8.22pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>A huge roar greets Adlington when she is introduced to the crowd and 17,000 people seem to be taking it in turns to shout out 'Come on Becky'. There's silence, then a beep ... and we're off! Muffat goes off fast early, which is a surprise given that she has been working on negative splits this year (ie making the second part of her race faster than the first). Muffat and Schmidtt are on world record pace after 200m ... but perhaps they have gone too fast? Adlington is still positioned for a medal push, being in 5th after 250m. It's still between Muffat and Schmitt with 100m to go, with Balmy in third ...

the crowd are doing everything to inspire Adlington though. She's pushing, she's pushing. Can she get a medal? <strong>Muffat wins in 4:01.45, an Olympic medal, Schmidtt takes silver ... and Adlington takes bronze! The crowd go wild, and rightly so.</strong></p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:20:48.871Z">8.20pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Camille Muffat (FRA) has been the most consistent performer of 2012, practicing her race plan at many meets throughout the first seven months of the year, and that practice was evident with her cruising in to the final this morning, grabbing lane four. Muffat and teammate Coralie Balmy will swim differing races tonight, Balmy preferring to go our fast, Muffat letting the second half of the race do the talking. Alison Schmitt (AUS) also performed well and controlled and will be a great threat tonight.

I feel that Muffat will be hard to beat, and will earn herself a very well deserved Olympic gold, Silver may go to her teammate Balmy, and with the hope of the nation on her shoulders, defending champion Rebecca Adlington (GBR) may slip herself in to bronze, from lane eight.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:19:52.846Z">8.19pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>OK, time to take a deep breath and hope that Rebecca Adlington can win Britain's first gold medal Four years ago I was lucky enough to be in Beijing when Adlington, then just 19 and unknown outside the swimming community, stunned everyone by winning gold in this event - and also to listen to her afterwards when she confessed: "I saw Katie Hoff go at 250m and I thought: 'Oh gosh, she's gone' … I was so tired. But in the last 50m I thought 'right, go!' and it paid off." That never-say-die attitude sums up Adlington.

In last year's world championships, Adlington finished second behind the Italian Federica Pellegrini and France's Camille Muffat. But after a very strong 2012, it is Muffat who goes into tonight's race as the short-priced favourite.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:18:23.121Z">8.18pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Another world record goes! Incredible swim from <strong>Cameron Van Der Burgh, who was actually slower than in his semi-final at halfway but pushed on to win comfortably. Christian Spenger (AUS) was second and Hansen (USA) was third.</strong> Alas there was no dream finish for Kitajima, who finished fifth.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:15:25.217Z">8.15pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>...

don't worry, you're not missing anything from the men's 100m breaststroke. Meanwhile, David Smith emails: "Plymouth? Grim? You've clearly never seen the G-Spot on Saturday night." I don't know how to respond to that.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:11:51.544Z">8.11pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>All of the favourites had to go full steam in last night’s semi final to grab a lane for tonight’s race. Cameron van der Burgh (RSA) claimed the Olympic Record, absolutely flying down the first 50m and maintaining his dominate lead down the return 50m. It is likely he will swim his race the exact same way tonight, his ‘catch me if you can’ tactics a sign of bravery and commitment to win at all costs.

Kosuke Kitajima (JPN) will be out in lane 7 and is not to be counted out as he aims to become the first man in swimming history to claim a gold medal in the same event at 3 consecutive games. I feel he will lift 100% from his Semi-final swim. Long time rival Brendan Hansen (USA) is also out to culminate the comeback of the year. All of the men in this final stand a real chance at a medal, it is a shame 5 have to miss out. Australian duo Brenton Rickard and Christian Sprenger and Italy’s Fabio Scozzoli could be the surprise swimmers. This is a very hard race to predict, but my call is gold to Kitajima in a history making moment, only just behind and winning silver is van der Burgh, bronze to... well, anyone, but perhaps one of the Aussie boys will slip in to the spot.

Each man will of course take a moment to remember a lost friend, Norway’s Alexander Dale Oen.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:08:56.478Z">8.08pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Kosuke Kitajima, the Japanese swimmer, won this race in Athens and Beijing, but he didn't look particularly good in finishing fourth in his semi-final last night. True, he has the experience and the class, but he has to reverse the form with the South African Cameron van der Burgh, who set a PB and world best of 2012 last night.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:08:05.882Z">8.08pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>So why is it that you're too old for swimming at 24 (and is it just a female thing)?

I can understand it for gymnastics, say, where flexibility is key and there is much demand on young bodies. But why do swimmers retire much earlier than runners or rowers or cyclists or footballers? Or do they just get sick of the 5am starts and endless laps of the pool?</p><p>Think it is mostly down to B, David -- and probably the fact that there isn't such a large amount of money in the sport that you're set for life at 30. Anyone else have any suggestions?</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T19:06:03.344Z">8.06pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Suggests that Ruta Meilutyte is serious gold medal contender.

Here she is celebrating earlier...</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T18:56:06.440Z">7.56pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>In the first race, Soni makes the sort of start you or I might if do if we were ever allowed to jump into the Olympic pool: there's a wooahhh-wobble before she splash-lands well down on the field. But she is able to able recover from being last at halfway to win in 1.05.98 ahead of Larson in 1.06.70s. Larson has a fascinating back story, by the way: she only took up swimming seriously when she went to university three years ago. In the second race 15-year-old Ruta Meilutyte leads straight from the front to demolish the field in 1.05.21, a new European record - and only half a second off the world record. Incredible swimming.

When asked afterwards what she puts her success down to she can barely speak, but Sharron Davies, who is interviewing her, is quick to point out that she trains in Plymouth. Grim place. Not much else to do I guess, but swim.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T18:53:40.317Z">7.53pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>The surprise package of the morning was Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), absolutely flying down the first 50m and continuing to pull away from the field on the way home to a speedy 1 min 5 sec, rocketing herself in to the top spot for the semi-final. It will be interesting to see how she backs up tonight. Breeja Larson (USA) continued her roll of great performances from the US trials last month to put together a great heat swim and she will look to lift tonight. Rebecca Soni (USA) looked like she had a lot left in the tank.

The top contenders all sped down the first lap, with a few like Leisel Jones (AUS) and Iuliia<br>Efimova (RSA) preferring to do the work in the second 50m. These girls should make up the final with lane spaces left for Leiston Pickett (AUS), Sarah Poewe (GER) and Satomi Suzuki (JPN) to battle for.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T18:52:35.145Z">7.52pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p><br> After another short break, we're off again. Rebecca Soni is the<br> overwhelming favourite for the title and it will be interesting to see<br> if she is needed to work any harder in tonight's semi-finals than she<br> did in the heats this morning.

Breeja Larson, her compatriot on the US team, beat her in the trials mind ...</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T18:51:14.674Z">7.51pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>... she's only 24, which I guess is old in swimming years. She says she will take it "season-by-season". Here she is celebrating her world record.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T18:46:02.504Z">7.46pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>The first semi-final is won by 2009 world champion Paul Biedermann, who makes an excellent return to form to win in 1.46.10. Ryan Lochte is content to take things reasonably gently and finishes second, while Britain's Robbie Rendwick finishes joint third.

Afterwards, Rendwick says: "I just hope my time will be enough to get into the final. I don't feel that tired so I know I am capable of faster." When pressed he suggests he can beat his British record. In the second semi-final, Sun wins as comfortably as you'd like in 1.45.8, but the race isn't that quick ... which means Rendwick qualifies for the final in joint-sixth.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T18:39:57.877Z">7.39pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>As one set of swimmers leave the stage, another set of swimmers are<br> introduced, and the ritual of announcements and waves begins again.<br> These are only semi-finals, but it would be a surprise if Sun Yang,<br> the Chinese swimmer who won the 400m freestyle last night, and Lochte, who took the 400m individual medley award, didn't qualify easily.

Britain's Robbie Rendwick is the subject of good reports and will<br> hopefully go well.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T18:39:30.077Z">7.39pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Sun Yang (CHN) and Ryan Lochte (USA) were side-by-side in the heats<br> this morning, both looking surprisingly comfortable following their<br> gold medal performances last night (400m freestyle and 400m IM<br> respectively). They lead the field in to tonight’s semi-finals, and<br> will be able to dictate their races, doing just enough to make the<br> final tomorrow night. Yannick Agnel (FRA), world leader in 2012, also<br> looked very controlled. Finalists will most likely include 400m<br> silver medallist, Park Taewhan (KOR) and Robbie Rendwick (GBR).

It<br> will be interesting to see if 2009 World Champion Paul Biedermann<br> (GER) can lift himself in to the top eight.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T18:37:35.703Z">7.37pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>The world record goes! <strong>Vollmer smashes the field to win gold in 55.98.</strong> <strong>Lu Ying is second for China and Alicia Coutts wins the bronze.</strong> Ellen Gandy, alas, finishes in eighth.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T18:05:31.242Z">7.05pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Alice Tait, the two-time Olympic gold medallist, who is also a member of the Guardian's experts' network, will be casting her eye over all tonight's races.

Here is her view of the 100m butterfly.</p><p>Dana Vollmer backed up her Olympic record breaking swim from Saturday's morning heats with another strong performance in the semi-finals, although she did seem to tighten in the last 15m. Understandable after swimming two of the fastest times in the world this year, eight hours apart! After a turbulent career, Vollmer is at her absolute best, and after a day’s rest, she is definitely the one to beat tonight. Her first 50m is lightening fast, unlike anyone else in the field. But expect Alicia Coutts (AUS) and Sara Sjostrom (SWE) to close in on her very quickly, as both are very swift swimmers on the return 50m. Ying Lu (CHN) was also a touch slower than her morning swim, but will be a real contender for a minor placing in tonight’s final, along with Ellen Gandy (GBR), pushed by the home crowd advantage.

I predict Vollmer to win gold after storming down the first 50m and hanging on for dear life, silver to Coutts, motivated after her part in the gold medal winning 4x100m freestyle relay last night, and bronze to Sjostrom.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T18:02:31.269Z">7.02pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>The American Dana Vollmer goes into the first race of the night as a<br> jalepeno-hot favourite, having won her semi-final in 56.36 sec, just<br> 0.3s outside the world record. Alicia Coutts, the Australian who<br> finished second behind her at 56.66 sec, is her most likely rival for<br> gold, but all British eyes will be on Ellen Gandy, the world silver<br> medallist at the 200m butterfly, as she bids to squeeze in the medal<br> places.

That looks an ask, to be honest, and you suspect she will have<br> to smash her UK record of 57.25 sec to be a big player tonight.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2012-07-29T17:24:46.146Z">6.24pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>On the front cover of today's London 2012 official programme there is<br> a photograph of Rebecca Adlington and a bold teaser asking whether<br> British swimming's golden girl can strike again. Given that she only<br> qualified for tonight's 400m freestyle final with the eighth quickest<br> time, and she is up against Camile Muffat, the Frenchwoman who has<br> recorded six of the 10 fastest times in the event this year, some<br> might be tempted to dismiss her chances.

Then again, few thought Adlington had any hope in the Bird's Nest in Beijing, until she found the sort of turbo-boost usually only seen in 8-bit computer games to go from fifth to first in the last 15m to win gold. Most of Britain, and its batallion of sports journalists in the Aquatics centre tonight, will be praying for a repeat. No one wants that wait for a home gold to last too long.<br> <br> But while British eyes will be on Adlington, tonight's programme offers plenty of other juicy morsels. Ryan Lochte swims again, in the men's 200m freestyle, as does Missy Franklin, in the women's 100m backstroke semi-finals. There's also the possibility of a world record in the first race, the women's 100m final butterfly; seeing the Japanese 'frog-prince' Kosuke Kitajima win his third successive 100m breaststroke title following victories in Athens and Beijing - and enjoying another thrilling relay tussle between the US and Australia to finish things off.<br> <br> It should be another thrilling night.

Let's just hope the Olympic<br> family show up this time.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Olympics 2012: swimming London 2012: China's Ye Shiwen staggered the world – even Ryan Lochte | Andy Bull The 16-year-old prodigy and her compatriot Sun Yang symbolise China's singular approach to talent-spotting<p>The morning after the night before there was only one name on everybody's lips. It was not Ryan Lochte or Michael Phelps. In fact it was exactly the same person those two had been talking about themselves: <a href="" title="">Ye Shiwen</a>. The 16-year-old, born and raised in Hangzhou out on the east coast of China, became the first swimmer to break a world record at these Olympics when she knocked more than a second off the time that won Steph Rice gold back in Beijing in 2008. And Rice had the advantage of swimming in a polyurethane suit, of the kind long since banned by the sport's governing body, Fina.

It was not just Ye's speed, or her age, that was so staggering – it was the manner of her victory.</p><p>After 300m of fly, back and breaststroke, Ye was eight-tenths of a second behind USA's world champion, Elizabeth Beisel. And then, with 100m to go, something extraordinary happened. She swam her first 50m of freestyle in 29.25sec, and her second in 28.93. Those are just numbers, and mean little to those who do not study the sport. To put them in context, consider this: Ye was faster in the final 50m of her own 400m IM than Lochte was in his.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Ye Shiwen London 2012: winning swimming relay gold is like no other experience | Alice Tait I found swimming such a lonely sport that the intense bonding to be found in a relay team became a source of intense joy<p>Swimming is a notoriously lonely sport. Hours are spent completing lap after lap, alone in your thoughts.

When you need to push harder, you don't hear the cries of support. You only hear the rushing of water as you pass through it - and your willpower voice urging you to do 'just one more stroke'.</p><p>Of course you receive praise and direction from your coach, and enjoy a laugh with fellow squad-mates afterwards. But before you know it, you are plunging back in to the silent world only a professional swimmer truly knows.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Olympic Games 2012 London 2012: teething problems for Aquatics Centre should pass | Andy Bull The hangover from Friday night's partying seemed to affect even the Queen as the Olympic swimming got under way<p>Put it down to the hangover. Everything was a little messy and confused on Saturday morning at the pool, almost as though everyone – fans, staff, swimmers and volunteers – had been up late taking part in some kind of party the night before. Perish the thought. Even the Queen seemed a little furtive, slipping in unannounced and appearing on camera only as she was turning her back to leave again.

It was almost as though she decided the raucous atmosphere inside was more than she could stomach without having another cuppa to clear her head.</p><p>At least she was spared the queues. An hour before the session was due to start they were stretching way across the Olympic Park, past the Orbit and up to the Olympic Stadium itself – an ominous portent indeed. The managing staff, to their credit, had the speed of thought to allow the public through the entrances reserved for the media and other accredited Olympic junketeers. That meant the queue was better than it looked, 15 minutes from the back to the front, reckoned those who had made it through.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Olympics 2012: swimming London 2012 Olympics: 30 American athletes to watch out for From Michael Phelps to Lolo Jones, basketball to judo, we look at 30 Team USA athletes set for Olympic glory at London 2012<p><a href="">Michael Phelps, </a>who has won 14 golds in two previous Olympics, may be lazy and have a bad work ethic, but I guess that's what it takes to re-write Olympic history.

Fellow American swimmer <a href="#.UBDT1zFYsb0">Tyler Clary said a few weeks</a> back that Phelps "doesn't have to work as hard" in training, and, side note to Clary, that's because the 27-year-old is blessed with the greatest swimming talent to ever take a lap. Phelps needs just two more medals to unseat Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina as the all-time gold medal leader, something Phelps could probably do while eating a Subway sandwich. </p><p>"It will take a 9.7 to even get a medal, it's mind blowing,"</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> USA Olympic team London 2012: Kosuke Kitajima has same shot at history as Michael Phelps Victory in the 100m and 200m breaststroke at London 2012 will give the Japanese 'Frog King' a 'triple double' of Olympic golds<p>This Saturday the world's eyes will be fixed on the Aquatics Centre, and particularly the showdown between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte in the 400m individual medley final.

If Phelps wins, he will become the first ever male swimmer to win a gold medal in the same event at three consecutive games. But a day later, the brilliant Japanese swimmer Kosuke Kitajima has the same shot at history – and has every chance of following up gold in the 100m breaststroke in Athens and Beijing with a third successive title in London.</p><p>If he makes it, maybe the general public will recognise something the swimming world spotted a long time ago: that Kitajima is a very special talent.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Olympics 2012: swimming Ellen Gandy: A new and improved Speedo swimsuit? Not for me, thanks Next week's Olympic trials will be dogged by a familiar controversy – but not everyone is getting involved<br /><a href="" title="">• Introducing the Guardian's Olympic diarists</a><p>Oh my gosh, I am so happy to be back in England. It's so good to be home, where everything is familiar and easy.

The only thing I was worried about was the English weather, but I seem to have got lucky and caught a warm spell because when I stepped off the plane from Australia the first thing I did was put my sunglasses on, which wasn't what I expected. Is this really England in February? It's a little colder now I am down in Bath, which is more like it.</p><p>I'm tapering my training now, as I get ready for the Olympic trials. I'm not really thinking about them yet, because it is still a week away and I don't want to get too emotional and nervous right now. When I was younger I used to worry about races weeks in advance, and it would really drain me. So my coach has taught me how to prepare mentally. Now I try to stay at zero and then when I get on the blocks I raise it up to ten, switch everything on. It's difficult because every now and then the thought pops into my mind "you're racing for an Olympic place next week".

I have to tell myself not to think about it, just relax, and face it when it comes.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Olympic Games 2012 Fran Halsall: 'My only bad dreams are where I forget my goggles' London 2012 is just a year away, but pressure will not cause Fran Halsall to lose any sleep in the build-up to the Games<p>If you are looking for someone who can talk cheerfully about Aristotle and ballet and Chanel and diarrhoea and kick-boxing and whether or not God actually exists, then Fran Halsall is the girl for you. And if you are wondering just who may emerge as an unexpected star of the 2012 Olympic Games, it may pay to start thinking about the sleek figure that Halsall cuts in the pool, whether swimming freestyle or butterfly, as she dreams of winning five medals just over a year from now.</p><p>Next Monday, in another step of a sporting journey that could see her emerge as a face to remember during and after the London Olympics, Halsall will arrive in Japan with the British swimming team.

There, in a holding camp before the world championships begin in Shanghai this month, Halsall will chat and kid around as much as anyone else in a squad that bubbles over with happiness and hope at the prospect of a competition that will serve as a crucial element of its Olympic preparation. Even the fact that she has just lost her No1 world ranking in the 100&nbsp;metres freestyle, the event she describes as "the blue riband race", cannot dent Halsall's&nbsp;ebullience.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Swimming Which Michael Phelps will turn up to the 2012 Olympics? | Lawrence Donegan The US swimmer has been a tabloid fixture but is now swimming close to his best again<p>What does a man do after winning eight gold medals at one Olympic games?

He parties, <a href="" title="he turns up on the front page of the News of the World">he turns up on the front page of the News of the World</a>, he loses sponsorship, he rails against the "unfair" advances wrought by technology, he loses his form, he finds it again, he wins five world championship gold medals, he loses his form again, he turns in the worst performances of his career and, finally, he is apparently re-born as the untouchable athlete he was before all of the above took place.</p><p>Welcome to the last two and a half years in the life of Michael Phelps, which have been about as predictable as they have been dull; which is to say, not in the slightest.</p> <a href="">Continue reading...</a> Michael Phelps

Question: Which female swimmer from Merseyside became the first to qualify for the 2012 Olympic games in 3 individual Olympic disciplines?
Answer: FRAN HALSALL